I’m just going to come right out and tell you that this cake is sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, soy free, paleo and vegan. I know, I know,  you’re thinking, ‘how can it possibly taste good?!’  But trust me, this cake is absolutely delicious and tastes completely decadent.

Rafaan and I don’t give Asher any sugar but I always thought he’d have his first sugary treat on his birthday, however Raf thought it wasn’t necessary and that Asher wouldn’t even miss it and I must say I had to agree.  I still wanted him to have a birthday cake though, so I set out trying to find a recipe that was sugar free AND vegan. Well, I came across this sugar free cake recipe and this icing recipe (both of which are by Lea at Paleo Spirit) which I then tweaked a bit to make vegan and to suit my palate.  It wasn’t my intention to have the cake be gluten free, soy free or paleo, but I really like that it is, because I’m happy knowing that pretty much anyone and everyone can eat this cake, no matter their dietary restrictions.

I was so proud of this cake and I was so excited to watch Asher gobble it up and get his face covered in chocolate, but alas the poor guy wasn’t feeling up to it.  I stupidly scheduled his 12 month check up on his actual birthday and he had two vaccines and a hemoglobin test, which required a finger prick, so he wasn’t feeling well and only took a few bites (he did gobble it up the next day though).  Raf and I, loved it!  Raf, being the sweetie that he is, even raved that I should open up a bakery.  The cake had a dense, rich, slightly fudge like consistency and had just the right amount of sweetness.  The coolest part though, was the icing. I mean, come on, chocolate icing made out of avocado sounds too good to be true, but it was incredible!  It was rich and creamy and oh so delicious.  Every once in a while I could taste a hint of avocado (although Raf couldn’t), which may have been due to the fact that I knew it was there or perhaps I didn’t mix it enough, but otherwise it tasted exactly like rich chocolate icing.  I used 1/2 a cup of maple syrup, but next time I think I’ll try using less.  I suggest not telling people what the icing is made out of and then shocking them once they try it. They will not believe the truth because it’s that good!

I just love how guilt free and healthy this cake is!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

• 10 medjool dates, pitted & chopped
• 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• Cardamom to taste (optional) – in my experience, less is more when it comes to cardamom, I used about 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions

1. Put the dates, apple sauce and bananas in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Move the banana, applesauce and date mixture to a large mixing bowl , add the vanilla extract, coconut oil and coffee and mix with a hand mixer until well combined.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed, until  smooth.
5. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with coconut oil and cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
6. Pour the batter into the greased pan and smooth it out.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester (or fork) comes out clean when stuck into the middle.
8. Allow the cake to cool before turning over onto a flat surface.

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Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 perfectly ripe avocado, chopped (I used organic)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup maple syrup, depending on how sweet you want it
• Vanilla extract to taste

Instructions:

Place all three ingredients in a food processor and mix together, stopping to scrape down the sides whenever necessary. Spread immediately or refrigerate for later use (I spread it immediately).

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Decorative Cashew Cardamom Icing Ingredients: – skip this is you’re worried about someone having a nut allergy

• Raw cashews
• Water
• Cardamom

Instructions:

Place cashews (I used about 3/4 cup and had plenty left over) in a food processor and process into a fine powder, with the processor still running slowly add water until you get a smooth creamy consistency (you don’t want it to be too runny).  Finally add the cardamom sparingly and mix until evenly distributed throughout.  Place your icing in a piping bag (or you could use a zip lock bag with a tiny hole cut into a corner like I did) and decorate your cake as desired.